Ancelotti's Brazil warning: "Talent with the right attitude is the key to success"

The Brazil manager, Italian Carlo Ancelotti, stated in a press conference on Monday that the key to success for the 'Seleção' at the 2026 World Cup will be having players who combine both talent and the right attitude.

"I talk about it a lot because I think it's the key to success. Brazilian players have a lot of talent. And the key to success is talent with the right attitude. Talent without attitude doesn't win, and neither does attitude without talent. It's the combination that allows you to win," he stated.

The Italian coach said that what he has liked most in his three matches as Brazil manager so far is precisely the team's attitude.

"In my opinion, the attitude has been very good, and that is an important foundation for the future of the national team," Ancelotti said in the press conference he gave on the eve of Brazil's visit to Bolivia for their last match in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

Despite Brazil having already secured their place at the World Cup, the coach said that the match against Bolivia is very important to continue testing players.

He stated that he has been pleasantly surprised by players he didn't know, such as defender Douglas Santos and forward Luiz Henrique, whom he described as decisive in the 3-0 victory over Chile at the Maracanã last Thursday.

Ancelotti stated that he achieved his objectives for the match against the Chilean side, which were to win and to get to know new players, as well as to assess players he already knew and considers important to the national team.

He stated that Marquinhos, captain of PSG, is one of the best defenders in the world due to his experience, intelligence, character and personality, and described him as a "very important piece for the team."

Of Casemiro, who will not be able to play against Bolivia due to suspension, he said that he is an "irreplaceable" player; he stated that he sees young Chelsea forward Estevao doing very well and that he can improve and progress to become an important player for Brazil in the future; and he praised Rodrygo, although he has not yet called up his former charge at Real Madrid.

"Obviously, memory counts. I know Rodrygo very well, and I know that he can contribute a lot to the team. We are evaluating about 70 players and in all of them we analyse both the physical and tactical level to try to assemble the most competitive team possible for the World Cup," he concluded.